


Flights of Fancy

by Dathen



Series: Dathen's Aspec Martin Prompt Fills [2]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: ADHD Jon (implied), Canon Asexual Character, Getting to know you, M/M, No Spoilers, No angst this time around, ace Martin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23758213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dathen/pseuds/Dathen
Summary: “I’m not making fun, I promise.”  Jon absently brushed the back of his fingers against Martin’s cheek, and for a second Martin’s thoughts blurred as heat rushed to his face.  “I just never pictured you playing video games.”--Martin and Jon compare fictional crushes.  Hypothetically during TMA 160 interlude, but no series spoilers.  Written for Prompt 2 of Aspec Martin Blackwood Week: Common Experiences.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims
Series: Dathen's Aspec Martin Prompt Fills [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710181
Comments: 36
Kudos: 334
Collections: Aspec Martin Blackwood Week





	Flights of Fancy

“Would you believe me if I said _you_?” Martin cast an evasive glance down at Jon, who sat curled up against him on the sofa. The “ask random questions to get to know each other better” game may have been his idea, but how could he have forgotten how many answers could be embarrassing?

One of Jon’s brows shot up, even as a hint of a flush rose in his cheeks. “No crushes before me? No, I do find that difficult to believe.”

“Always the skeptic. Why’s it so hard?” asked Martin. The book Jon had been reading was perched on the end table at his elbow; Martin slid it off the table and slipped it into Jon’s lap. Maybe having it at hand would be enough to distract Jon. 

Jon huffed. “I could make a long list of famously attractive men that certainly would have caught your eye first.” His hands found the book in his lap, but he didn’t take the bait, instead running his thumb back and forth along the crease in its spine. Martin caught himself watching his fingers, fine and elegant despite the scars mottling his hands. Well, that scheme backfired.

“That’s the thing, though...it’s never been about being ‘famously attractive,’” he said, deepening his voice in an exaggerated echo of Jon’s. He grinned as Jon scrunched his nose like he always did when Martin imitated him. “Like people would be going on about who’s hot and all that, and I could see it, I guess? But most of them didn’t give me butterflies or anything.”

“And who _did_ give you—ah, I-I mean,” Jon faltered, smile slipping before returning twice as smug. “Now I’m only more curious who _did_ give you butterflies.”

Something warm and happy twisted in Martin’s chest. For all Jon’s prying, seeing him carefully circle around anything that could force an answer affirmed what Martin already knew: that if Martin told him to stop, with this or anything else, Jon would drop it in an instant. Martin gave a dramatic sigh even though all he wanted to do in the moment was plant a kiss on Jon’s hair. “Fine, fine. You’re gonna make fun, though. It was Locke from Final Fantasy.”

Jon sat up and blinked a few too many times. “What?”

“See! I _knew_ you’d make fun!”

“I’m not making fun, I promise.” Jon absently brushed the back of his fingers against Martin’s cheek, and for a second Martin’s thoughts blurred as heat rushed to his face. “I just never pictured you playing video games,” he continued, brows drawing together. “Also, I don’t know who that is.”

Martin rolled his eyes. “I’m only six months older than you, Jon. Besides, I didn’t picture _you_ as being some sort of Mario Kart champion in uni. Still not sure I believe that one.”

Jon’s eyes sparked with the need to prove his expertise, but he just primly replied, “Believe it or not, Martin, I did do things other than read in uni. I wasn’t born with a book in my hand.” He then looked down at the book in his hands, puzzled, as if wondering how it got there. 

“And _I_ wasn’t born with a polaroid camera and— and whatever else you pictured in mine. I found an old SNES and a few games in a jumble sale ages ago; they were all kind of old, but I must have played them a dozen times each.” Martin sighed. “I know it’s ridiculous. It was just a blob of pixels."

“Martin. Do you have any idea how many characters from books I fancied?”

“That’s different--”

“Is it?” Jon quirked his head. “I wasn’t drawn to the usual list of celebrities, either. With books it was...safer, I think. More accessible. I didn’t need to confront the…” He trailed off, hands weaving through the air. “ _Physicality_ that comes with, er, real people. Even if it was nowhere near the point of _expectations_.” The last word was said like a code phrase shared just between the two of them. In a way, it was.

Martin paused to turn this over in his head. “Mm. Makes sense,” he admitted. “Still, I feel like it’s more dignified to say your childhood crush was Mr. Darcy than a Final Fantasy character.”

Jon flushed, eyes widening comically. “Wh-- How-- I don’t remember telling you that!”

Martin burst out laughing. “Seriously? I’d say it was a lucky guess, but it’s a pretty safe choice. I mean, who hasn’t gotten a crush on Mr. Darcy?”

“Certainly no one who likes...wet clothes,” muttered Jon with the gravity of a lifelong grudge. 

Martin gasped in mock horror. “Mr. Sims, are you saying you’re immune to the wet shirt scene?”

Jon shot him a betrayed look. “Oh, not you too,” he groaned, letting his head fall back on the sofa. “I grew up by the beach, Martin, wet clothes are the last thing that will get me flustered.” 

Martin stroked the graying hair splayed over the cushion before weaving his fingers into it. “You’ve ruined all my plans to fluster you,” he sighed

Jon’s eyelids fluttered as Martin began massaging his scalp. “I-I’m sure you’ll manage.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been obsessed with the idea of Martin playing video games thanks to kingcael and other artists' "Martin and the switch he bought with embezzled Lukas money" art. Meanwhile, Jonathan "tv kept my attention for maybe half an hour" Sims never could handle RPGs that make you grind xp for hours on end, but more active video games are ADHD catnip. It's still a bit odd to remember these two are millennials and are both younger than me.
> 
> Also, the amount of release date and timeline research I put into picking a character for Martin was absurd.
> 
> I finally wrote an ace fic without any internalized acephobia! Mark your calendars!!


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